During a tense situation, the protagonist starts berating himself: "I'm useless! It'd be better if I didn't exist!" then — SLAP! The older-sister type (usually a Tsundere) tells him to get a hold of himself and yells, "Don't say such stupid things!"

She gives a speech about the people who love him, the reasons he really is important, and so on. This always seems to be just what he needs to gain the confidence to resolve the story.

If the title sounds dorky, it's because it's mirror-translated from Japanese (馬鹿なことを言うな, "bakana koto o iu na"). A more natural translation would be along the lines of "Don't be an idiot!"

Examples

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Anime and Manga

Eyeshield 21: Sakuraba gets one of these (specifically a punch) from Takami in after ranting that he has wasted five years of his life on football and that he should just quit the team and stop making a mockery of himself.

This speech, almost to the word, was the climax of one episode of Rozen Maiden; it was delivered to the protagonist, a Hikikomori named Jun, by his sister.

Black Butler: While affected by the werewolves curse actually a poisonous gas inadvertently created by Sieglinde Ciel is reverted to a terrified child and tells Finny, the only person he allows near him at the time, that he isn't worth saving. This leads Finny into a big speech on why he shouldn't say things like that, since if it wasn't for Ciel Finny wouldn't be there.

In Toradora! after snapping at Yasuko about her being the source of his failures, Ryuji later calms down and admits to Taiga that it is actually the opposite: Ryuji has always thought that if he had never been born, Yasuko would have finished high school and have a better life. Taiga immediately goes off on him for saying such a thing. In fact she gets a little too upset at him, and almost grants his wish, sending him over into the river.

Neon Genesis Evangelion: Butt Monkey Shinji Ikari gets a variation of this from Misato in. Then per usual for Neon Genesis Evangelion, it's subverted unpleasantly, the first time, in that Shinji is moping after killing Kaoru, and Misato tells him that people with low survival drives don't deserve to live and that in killing the one person who's been nice to him in months, Shinji did the right thing. Naturally, it just sent him right over the edge into full on breakdown. The verbal chastising that she gave him in End of Evangelion was spot on, though. It actually managed to get him moving again for the moment.

Chrono Crusade: After Chrono suffers from a Heroic B.S.O.D. in the manga, he forces himself into a coma to keep from draining any more of Rosette's life. Rosette dives into his soul to follow him and convince him to come back. When she finds him, he insists that he can't continue on because she'll die because of their contract—she then slaps her hands on his face and gives him a speech about dealing with regret, and saying that she doesn't want him to be alone because of his fear of hurting her. The speech brings them closer to becoming an Official Couple, and gives Chrono the courage he needs to continue.

Bleach : Rukia and Ichigo fit this trope perfectly. When Rukia isn't using this trope on Ichigo, she's physically abusing him or making fun of his recklessness and/or stupidity.

Now and Then Here and There: This is switched around with Sara and Shu when Sara tries to kill herself when she finds out that she's pregnant. When she says that it would be better off if she didn't exist, Shu slaps her and basically says not to say such stupid things.

Mahou Sensei Negima!: Negi tends to get a lot of these from Asuna, especially during the festival arc when he's angsting over Chao or when Fate messes with his head. Even Yue and Chisame gave him one over Chao.

From A Growing Affection: No physical violence is involved, but Hinata gives one of these to Naruto when he suggests everyone would be better off if he had just run off to live in the mountains years ago.

Used at the end of Disney's Beauty and the Beast. As he lays dying, Beast says that perhaps it's better that things turned out the way they did. Belle starts to cry and tells him "Don't talk like that!"

In The Prince of Egypt, Moses immediately demurs when God chooses him to save the Israelites. God's response is along the lines of "I am the Creator of everything there is and you are questioning My judgment?!" Then He reassures Moses that he'll have God at his side.

Films — Live-Action

In Walk the Line, when Johnny Cash is fighting his pill addiction and depression:

Johnny Cash: What have I done? Just hurt everybody I know. I know I've hurt you. I'm nothin'.

June Carter: You're not nothin'. You are not nothin'. You're a good man, and God has given you a second chance to make things right, John. This is your chance, honey.

The Goonies: At a critical moment, the kids have a chance to escape from the dangerous treasure hunt but Mikey wants to continue. An argument starts between Andi and Mikey and eventually leads to Mikey's Rousing Speech.

There is an interesting version of the trope in Lawrence of Arabia. "All right, all right, I am exceptional."

Parodied in Mystery Men''. Mr. Furious has a crisis of faith right before the big battle. They attempt to remind him of the time he lifted a bus. He explains that he didn't lift the bus, he really pushed it while the driver had his foot on the gas pedal. Then they flip the switch and deliberately insult him to get him angry ("Your penmanship is atrocious!"). That doesn't work either so they give up and just drag him to the big battle.

Literature

Journey to Chaos: During the climax of A Mage's Power, Eric is suffering greater self-esteem problems than usual due to Dengel's Grand Theft Me so Kasile shouts him down by reminding him of all the amazing things he's done on his own.

Kasile: Eric! Listen to me! You can overcome Dengel!

Eric: No, Ió

Kasile: Yes,you can! The synchronization worked both ways! I saw you challenge Laharg. I saw you save your team from the Xethras and perform element fusion to guide them out of the Yacian Caverns. Dengel never did that at your age! I saw you overcome the trials of the Altar of Rebirth with only your wits and tools. Did Dengel win all those bouts in the tournament? No! And when I need someone to talk to, I would pick you over Dengel any day. He's just a walking encyclopedia! You can beat him!

Live Action Television

In Smallville, "Apocalypse", a heartwarming one between Clark and Chloe.

A lovely one occurs between River and the Doctor in the Doctor Who episode "The Wedding of River Song". When River tells The Doctor that she sent out a distress beacon to rally help for the him, he insists that no one would care that he was going to die. He is very wrong.

River: The sky is full of a million million voices, saying, "Yes of course. We'll help." You've touched so many lives, saved so many people. Did you think when your time came you'd really have to do more than just ask? You've decided that the universe is better off without you. But the universe doesn't agree.

The Doctor: River, no one can help me. A fixed point has been altered. Time is disintegrating.

River: I can't let you dieó

The Doctor: But I have to die!

River: Shut up! I can't let you without knowing you are loved. By so many and so much. And by no one more than me.

This happened a lot on Perfect Strangers. Larry thought something bad had happened (like, say, Balki was missing and Larry thought he was dead) then all of a sudden, his assumption was proven wrong; he'd make an exclamation like, "Balki, you're alive!" at which point Balki would tell him "Well of course I am, don't be ridiculous!" This turned into sort of a Running Gag on the show.

Theatre

A variation: in the penultimate scene of The Music Man, Winthrop says to self-admitted con man Harold Hill, "I with you'd never come to River Thity!" Marian gently says, "No you don't, Winthrop," and goes into a touching speech about all the difference it made.

Jeff: All right—Mel—Ella—Mom—whatever your name is. I love you! Ella: But you can't! I tricked you! Jeff: Pretty shabby trick—saving a man's life! Ella: But—all that intuition stuff. I was just telling you what you told Mom. I'm nothing. Jeff: Don't you call Mom "nothing." I loved talking to her. She was warm, sympathetic, understanding, wise.

Religion

This happens in Exodus 4:10-12 where Moses refuses to take the Israelites out of Egypt because he isn't an eloquent speaker. God loses His temper and says this to him:

God: Who gives man a mouth? Who makes a man dumb or deaf, gives sight or makes blind? Is it not I, Yahweh? Now go, I shall help you speak and instruct you what to say.

Video Games

Tales of the Abyss: This happens to Luke about every five minutes in the latter half of the game because of his Guilt Complex. In fact, it happens every time he opens his mouth — barring the punching, which only happens once.

Yukimaru spends a great deal of time trying to commit suicide for various failures, with the rest of the characters having to continually talk her out of it. It's Played for laughs.

There's Rozalin's pleas to Adell to kill her if her Superpowered Evil Side shows up again. Adell will have none of it.

Advance Wars: Dual StrikeSami to Eagle , if both are chosen for the final campaign mission, when Eagle worries about one or both of them not getting out of it alive:

Sami: Oh, no, you don't! Stop it right there! If two people make a promise like that, one of them is going to end up dead! [...] Save the promises for later, OK?

Fate/stay night: At one point in UBW route, Tohsaka declares she will quit their partnership if Shirou continues talking about his ideal without anything to back it up or a reason he wants to save everyone and calls him delusional. He doesn't take back anything he said and even talks a little more about it, but she can't hold it against him because he at least recognized how distorted his ideal is.

Neverwinter Nights: The dialogue in the first chapter of the fan-made continuation to the original campaign entitled Aribeth's Redemption consists almost exclusively of Aribeth telling the player to leave her alone and let her commit suicide; the player has no option but to respond with this trope.

Resonance of Fate's bridge scene:

Zephyr: Leanne... why?... Leanne: You IDIOT! You WANTED to die, DIDN'T YOU? Zephyr: ...Wouldn't it be better that way? I SHOULD be dead! Leanne: You THINK that can make up for what you did? NOT EVEN CLOSE! Leanne: ...If you're going to die... at least die with courage. Zephyr: Why am I... why am I even alive? Leanne: If you hadn't been here, I'D be dead. Isn't that enough?...

While this seems to end on a rather poor note, in the next scene Zephyr has decided that he has to live long enough to make Leanne happy, at least. (Which leads into a very sudden moodswing into a touching sceneor hilarious moment, depending on your view.

In Twig, when Lillian is panicking during her field surgery for the mortally wounded Mary, but Sylvester provides motivation:

Sy: Youíre being a wuss. You know what Gordon keeps telling me? Every time I lose a fight, which I do a lot? You have to make a move, or the world will move against you. Take action, be brave, and leave no doubt that you exist. Thereís too many people for any of us to fall into the background. Above all, trust your instincts, because youíre better than you think. You are better than you think, Lil, and Iím saying that as the person who was your biggest critic, back in the day. Youíve started fixing her up, youíve patched up the holes, best I can figure it out, now stop making excuses and get to work, you wuss. Sheís supposed to be your best friend.

Lillian: If youíre implying-

Sy: Iím implying! If you wimp out on this and you let Mary die, then Iím going to forgive youÖ eventually. We all are. Crap happens! But you? I know people and I know you, and I know that your fears drive and define you. If you give up here, you will never find your way back from it to become a proper doctor, and you are never, ever, ever going to forgive yourself for it.

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